Becoming a Computer Science Professional in Nebraska

While agriculture is a major part of the state's economy, not everyone in The Cornhusker State makes a living on the farm. There are many other careers to choose from in Nebraska and computer science careers are some of the more popular choices. This is no surprise when one considers the salary potential in this expanding field.

It's important to note that not everyone who works with computers falls under the category of computer scientist or computer science. A computer science degree can open the door to such positions as software engineer, engineering director, designer, researcher, analyst, and programmer. A person with a computer science degree is most likely going to earn more money than someone working with computers who does not have a degree in this area. The average pay for a computer scientist in Nebraska is not as much as computer scientists earn on average nationally. However, when compared to other occupations and salaries in the state, computer scientists fare well.

The average annual salary for workers with a computer science degree working in the computer science field is $66,950. The national average is about $30,000 more, at $97,970. Granted, this is a large disparity, but factors such as cost of living must be factored, as well as earning potential in other professions within the state. In short, $66,950 goes much further in Lincoln, Nebraska than it does in Manhattan, New York.

Speaking of Lincoln, Nebraska's second most populous city and the state capital, the city has many opportunities in the computer field. This works out perfectly because Lincoln also has many educational opportunities for students wishing to study computer science. There are approximately 25 schools where students can further their educations after high school in the Lincoln area, and eight of those schools offer computer science programs. While a computer science degree can be earned on average in four years, the average degree for a computer scientist is a master's. This means a four year bachelor's degree followed by two years of study to earn the master's.

Here are a couple more job titles that students can work toward as they pursue a computer science degree in Nebraska: As an applications programmer, degree holders can expect to develop and tweak software and utility programs. They will help clients better use the computer applications available to them so they can reach their desired goals. Applications programmers may work on projects individually or as part of a team. Much of their work will probably revolve around the organization of data bases. A security specialist is responsible for ensuring the integrity of computer files. We have all heard about hackers and the havoc they can cause when they illegally gain access to a data system. Computer security specialists are trained to thwart these hackers and protect company files.

Choosing from the many types of processing under the computer science heading can be daunting. However, having so many options is not a bad problem to have, as problems go. By the way, there are also computer science graduates in Nebraska working with computers in the agricultural field.